Volvo Hybrid Truck Breaks Two World Speed Records

Swedish company Volvo has built a one-off diesel, hybrid truck that has recently set two world speed records at the Wendover Airfield in Utah, America.

Nicknamed ‘Mean Green’, the vehicle broke the records for the standing kilometer and the flying kilometer.

Mean Green hit a top velocity (speed) of 147 mph in the flying kilometer (where drivers get to drive a small distance to gain speed before beginning the run); and 95 mph in the standing kilometer (which is done from a stop).

To achieve those speeds, the truck was modified to have a more aerodynamic and lighter body—but composed of Volvo components.

The vehicle also contains a Volvo D16 engine, a modified Volvo I-Shift gearbox, and an electric motor that provides the truck 200 hp and 885 lb-ft.

The speed records were certified by the United States Auto Club, a division of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile.

“We are very pleased with Mean Green’s performance especially at such a high altitude,” Boije Ovebrink, owner and driver of Mean Green told Autoweek. “We knew Wendover would present challenges because it’s more than 4,200 feet above sea level.”

Last year, the truck hit records of 135.9 mph in the flying kilometer and 94.6 mph in the standing kilometer at Sweden’s Hultsfred Airport.